The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-03-10
ROBERT E. LEE.
GEN. LORD WOLSELEY REVIEWS THE
SOUTHERN LEADERS, LIFE.

The Scene Described When lie Accepted a
Commission From the Mother of Presi-
dents--A Comparison Between tho Anne er-
lean Soldier and England's Conqucring
Marlborough.
New YORK, March 1.-Of the cables
printed in the New York papers the fol
lowing special cable from London to the
World is the one which will attract most
attentions:
The leading article in Macmillan's
Magazine for March is by General Lord
Wolseley, on General Lee. Reference
is made in foot note to tho recently
published memoirs of General Lee by
General Long and Marcus Wright, but
in no sense review of that work. Gen
eral Lee is given full credit for the love
he had for the Union, and for the strug-
gle he went through before finally taking
the decision to 60 with lis own State.
General Wolseley describes how Lee
accepted his commission rs commander
in-chief Of all the military forces of Vir-
ginia in crowded convention Of the
most eminent men of the State, and then
draws parallel between him and the
great Marlborough: General Lees
presence commanded respect even from
strangers by calm, self-possessed dig
nifty the like of which l have never seen
in other men. Naturally of strong pas
sions he kept them under perfect control
by that iron and determined will of
which his expression and his face gave
evidence. AS this tall and handsome
soldier stood before his countrymen he
was the picture of the ideal patriot.
Unconscious and self-possessed in his
strength, he indulgcd in no theatl ical
display of feeling. There was in his
face and about him that placid resolve
which bespoke great confidence in self,
and which, in lis case, one knows not
how quickly communicated its magnetic
influence to others. He was tneu just
1iity-four years old, Tho age Of Mari
borough when he destroyed tho french
army at Blenheim. In many WAYS and
on many points these two great mon
much resembled each other. Botl wcIc
OF dlgnltied and commanding exterior,
eminently handsome, with figure tall,
graceful and erect, while u Iausclllur,
square-built frame bespoke great activity
OF body. Tho charm OF manuur which
| have mentioned as vory winning III
Lee was possessed in the highest degree
by Marlborough. Both, at the outset
OF then great career OF victory, were re-
garded IS essentially national command
ers. BotH had married young and were
faithful husbands and devoted fathers.
Both had in all their campaigns the
same belief III an ever. watchful ProYi-
InnPn wi H,,s t,1
pllcltly and for whose interpOsitiOn they
prayed at all times. They were gifted
with tho same military instinct, the
same genius for war, the power of fasci-
mating those with wLom they were asso-
ciated, the spell which they cast over
their soldiers who believed almost super
stitiously in their certainty OF victory.
Their contempt of danger and their dar-
ing courage constitute IL parallel that is
difficult to equal between any other two
great men Of modern times"
AN ORGANIZER.
Reference is made as to how General
Lee organized an army Of So, 900 men in
two months, and as to how in another
month ne had gained great victory at
Bull Run and driven the Northern in
vaders back across the Potomac like
herds of frightened sheep, his army be-
ing supplied with ammunition, army
stores and clothing captured there. He
tells the following story: "Some time
afterward, when General Pope and his
large invading army had been sent back
flying across the Maryland border, /
overheard this conversation between two
Confederate soldiers: Have you heard
the news? General Lee has resigned. ;
Good God, was the reply; what for?
He has resi- gned because he saws he can
not feed and supply his army any longer
now that his commissary, General Pope,
has been removed Mr.. Lincoln had
just then dismissed General Pope, re-
placing him by General Mcclellan.
INEFFICIENT sUBoRDINArEs.
General Wolselcy incidentally ex-
presses an opinion, when speaking of
Bull Run, that the Confederatcs did not
follow up their victory there as they
should have done. A rapid and daring
advance would have given them posses
sion of Washington, their enemy's capi-
tai. Political considerations ut Rich
mond were allowed to outweigh the very
evident military experience OF reaping IL
solid advantage from this their first great
success. This suggests the general criti-
cism which follows:
"What most strikes the regular soldier
in these campaigns Of General Lcci the
inefficient manner in which both he and
his opponents were often served by their
subordinate commander and how badly
the staff and outpost work generally was
performed on both sides. 1t is most
difficult to move, with any effective pre-
cision, young armies constituted as these
were during this war. Tho direction and
movement of large bodies Of newly
raised troops, even when victorious, mc
never easy and often impossible. Over
ana over again was the South apparently
within stones throw of independence,
and 1t has been many times remarked,
when from want of thorouQhIv goon
stall to organize the pursuit, the 0cca.
sion was lost and tho enemy allowed T.,
escape. Lees combinations to securI
victory were the conceptions of n frul,
great stratcgist, and when they Ind bcay
effacted his tactics were also most aIwowe
everything that could be desired m r.
the moment of victory. But therd biC